USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Historical discourse delivered on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church : Chester County, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1870 > Part 4
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attentive to his duties, and for neglecting to attend the meetings of the judicatories of the Church.
At length, he was arraigned before Presbytery on account of some occurrences not necessary to be de- tailed here, and on the 24th of April, 1765, was de- posed from the office of the ministry.
He resided within the bounds of the congregation of Doe Run, and died in West Marlborough township in August, 1765, about four months after his deposi- tion. He was married, but left no descendants. I can give no account of his relations, except that a brother, James Sterling, was concerned in the settle- ment of his estate. He was a native of Ireland.
After his deposition, the churches to which he had ministered asked for supplies, and the Rev. John Blair of Faggs Manor, and Rev. John Carmichael of the Forks of Brandywine, were appointed to visit them in that capacity.
The Rev. Adam Boyd, having, as already observed, been deserted, by a majority of his congregation, ac- cepted a call on the 11th of August, 1741, from the portion of the church of the Forks of Brandywine who adhered to the Old Side-that church having also been divided-and who offered him ££20 for one half of his time. From this period until the year 1758, he ministered to the Old Side portions of both Upper Octorara and the Forks of Brandywine, giving to each, one half of his time. In the latter year, the two branches at Brandywine united, and his pastoral relation to that church was dissolved. He continued to be the pastor of the Old Side Congregation at
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Octorara, they, from the time his connection with Brandywine ceased, paying him for two thirds of his time.
The division in the church at large, which had ex- isted since 1741, was healed in the year 1758, and the two bodies became one. The First and Second Presbyteries of New Castle were united, and Mr. Boyd, who had theretofore, since its formation in 1732, been a member of Donegal Presbytery, was joined to New Castle.
The First and Second Congregations of Octorara, however, continued to remain distinct congregations for a period of ten years after the union of the Synods, although many of the members of the Second Church returned to the First Church during this period.
On the 19th of January, 1768, the Second Con- gregation of Upper Octorara, and the congregation at Doe Run, which had together been under the pastoral care of Mr. Sterling, united in calling the Rev. Wil- liam Foster, who had been licensed by the Presby- tery of New Castle on the 21st of April, 1767, and had supplied their pulpits a portion of the interven- ing period. The call was placed in his hands by the Presbytery, and held by him under consideration.
At a meeting of Presbytery held April 20, 1768, Mr. Boyd represented his inability to minister to his people as formerly, by reason of feeble health, and requested as many supplies for his pulpit as could reasonably be granted.
Soon after this, measures were taken for the coali- tion of the two congregations. Mr. Boyd's people,
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with his approbation, harmoniously concurred in the call already extended to Mr. Foster by the other con- gregation ; the calls were accepted by Mr. Foster, and on the 19th of October, 1768, he was duly ordained and installed as pastor of the "United Congregation of Upper Octorara," and also of the congregation of Doe Run, giving to the latter one-fourth of his time. The Rev. Robert Smith, of Pequea, presided at the ordination,-Mr. Boyd being present, and taking part in the services.
Mr. Boyd's pastoral relation was not formally dis- solved, and the congregation agreed to pay him £25 yearly, during his life. He survived however but a little over a month, and died Nov. 23, 1768, at the age of seventy-six years; forty-four of which he was pastor of this church. He was buried in yonder graveyard-tradition says-on the spot where the pulpit of the log church stood, in which he preached during the early part of his ministry. His widow survived till November 9, 1779. The stone covering his remains records, that he was "eminent through life for modest piety, diligence in his office, prudence, equanimity and peace."
He was a man of great exactness, and kept an ac- count book full of minute memoranda, commencing in 1741, and extending down to his last days. In those times, the minister collected his stipends himself, and in this volume, he records the payments of each sub- scriber, whether in money, produce or otherwise, with the offsets, the times of their death or removal, and the attending circumstances. His salary was not
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large. During a part of his ministry, it did not ex- ceed £30 from this congregation, and at no time, did it much, if any, exceed £60. This was doubtless added to by the other congregations, which from time to time he had under his charge.
The circumstances of the people were limited, and while they could not contribute largely to his support, they seem to have been uniformly commendable in fulfilling their promises, and several remembered him in their dying testaments by small bequests.
In his preparation for the pulpit, he used a sort of short-hand. The book I have referred to, contains several of his sermons thus written.
IIe was accustomed to visit the families of his con- gregation, and as the roads in those days, were to some extent mere bridle-paths, and riding vehicles had not come into use, he frequently made these journeys on foot. On such occasions-at least in his later days-he carried a cane, which has been pre- served in the family, and has been handed down from father to son, in one branch of his descendants to the present time, and which, through the kindness of the present possessors of it, I am permitted to exhibit to you to-day. The lower part, as you will see, is somewhat worn-caused, it is said, by his striking it through the crusted snow. As he died in 1768, one hundred and two years ago, this cane has an age of probably a century and a quarter.
An instance of Mr. Boyd's honesty has been transmitted-that having a horse, fine looking, but unruly, he took him to a neighboring vendue to sell;
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the cryer began to praise him, and set off his good properties, much in the modern style, but the old gentleman rebuked him, saying it was not so, that if he had been such a horse, he never would have thought of parting with him; and told the bidders the faults of the animal, and the occasion of his offer- ing him for sale.
Adam Boyd left five sons and six daughters. The eldest, John, is said to have been licensed to preach, and to have died young. Thomas settled on a plan- tation conveyed to him by his father, embracing the eastern portion of his lands already referred to, ad- joining this church property on the north, and which -now divided into two farms-is still in the posses- sion of his descendants.
Andrew remained upon the homestead; was active during the war of the revolution, held a commission as Colonel, and was for a time Lieutenant of the county of Chester. His duties in this office, were, to call out, equip and forward troops as they were needed, and to have the general oversight within the county, of supplying and sustaining the army in the field. His appointment to such a position shows the estimation in which he was held. He died March 23, 1786, at the age of forty-six years. Among his descendants, are Rev. Andrew Boyd Cross, of Balti- more, and the widow of the late Rev. Richard Web- ster, of Mauch Chunk.
Adam, another son, resided in Wilmington, North Carolina, and commenced the "Cape Fear Mercury," in October, 1767. He was a true friend of liberty,
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and was a leading member of the "Committee of Safety." In 1776, he exchanged the press for the pulpit, and was chaplain of the North Carolina brigade.
Samuel, the youngest son, entered Mr. McDowell's school at Elk, in the summer of 1760, and became a student in the College of Philadelphia in 1764. He entered on the practice of medicine and removed to Virginia.
Of the daughters of Rev. Adam Boyd, Margaret mar- ried the Rev. Joseph Tate; Janet, the Rev. Robert McMordrie; and Agnes, the Rev. Samson Smith.
His marriage-portions to his daughters were large, according to the notions of that day, and show the thoughtfulness, as well as the liberality of the pa- rents ;- thus, on the marriage of his eldest daughter, he gave her, besides a silk gown, a bed and its furni- ture, a horse and saddle, and nearly every article for housekeeping, all of which are carefully entered in his book.
How he managed to raise a family of five sons and six daughters, with the small stipend he received, and on a poor farm, in the condition agriculture was in at that time; educating two of his sons for the ministry, and one as a physician, and giving to each of his other sons a large plantation, besides portions to his daughters, is more than I can divine. I im- agine there are few in our day that could do it. It is true, that money was more valuable then than now, but not so much so as we might suppose, as many of the necessaries of life commanded more than they do at the present day.
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The union of the two branches of Octorara under one pastorate, does not appear, at first, to have been with the entire concurrence of the New Side. Some of them refused for a time, to worship with the united congregation, and received therefor the cen- sure of the Presbytery. They gradually however, in time, became reconciled to the new order of things.
One of the first acts of the united congregation, was to obtain patents from the proprietaries for the lands belonging to them, and which had theretofore been held by warrant and survey. A warrant had been taken out by the Rev. Adam Boyd, dated May 25, 1743, for the lands occupied by the congregation of which he was pastor, and a survey made in pursu- ance thereof. A patent was granted for these lands on the 26th of April, 1769, to the Rev. William Foster, William Clingan, Hugh Cowan and John Fleming, they having been designated by the con- gregation to receive a patent and to hold the same, as expressed therein, "for the purpose of erecting and continuing a church or house of religious worship, for the use of the united congregation at Octorara, in Sads- bury township, and their descendants and successors, in such manner as the majority of the congregation shall, from time to time, order, direct and appoint." The tract-according to the patent-contains nine acres and one hundred and thirty-eight perches, and allowance-the actual contents, according to a more recent survey, being eleven acres and fifty perches- and is the one now occupied by the congregation .*
* See Appendix C.
VAN INGEN-SNYDER
CHURCH EDIFICE, ERECTED IN 1769.
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The tract of twenty-five acres and allowance on the north valley hill, for which a warrant had been granted to Hugh Cowan, John Robb and John Hen- derson, on the 10th of February, 1743, for the use of the New Side portion of Octorara, and survey thereof made January 30, 1744, was, by direction of the united congregation, patented on the 7th of June, 1769, to Joseph Cowan and Hugh Cowan, "in trust to and for the use of the United Congregation of Presbyterians at Octorara.'
In those days, when lands were taken up, names were frequently given to them. Accordingly, the tract on which this church stands, was patented by the name of "Union,"-probably in commemoration of the union of the two congregations,-and the twenty-five acre tract was called "Fellowship."
The union of the congregations, rendered it neces- sary that they should have increased accommodations for public worship, neither of their houses having sufficient capacity, and accordingly about the year 1769, they proceeded to enlarge the house on the grounds of the first congregation, by extending it westward about thirty-five feet, thus making it in size, about forty-two by seventy feet. In this ex- tension, they simply used the north, east, and south walls of the old building-the floor, roof, and every other part being entirely new-so that the enlarged building was substantially a new one, and was the third meeting-house erected on these grounds.
In an old document in my possession, speaking of this building, it is stated that "when the first and
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second congregations united into one body, they built a large and convenient stone church on the grounds of the first congregation, the ancient place from the first settlement of the gospel in this part of the country."
The carpenter work was probably done by Samuel McClellan, the ancestor of the present family of that name in this congregation, who had removed into this township from Newtown township, Delaware County, about the year 1763, and settled where his grandson James L. McClellan, now resides. He was a joiner by trade, but did carpenter work. It is cer- tain that he built the pews. He would make as many at a time as his shop would conveniently hold, and then haul them to the church and put them up. On one occasion, while he was thus engaged, his shop took fire and was burned, and with it about £60 worth of work, besides the materials.
It may be interesting to describe this third church building more minutely, as it was the one in which our fathers worshipped for many years, and for its day, was one of more than ordinary elegance.
The building-as already observed-was about seventy feet in length from east to west, and about forty-two in width from north to south. The south wall-which was the front of the building-was what is called range work, pointed with black or dark col- ored mortar, and then penciled white, and as I recol- lect it, presented a very fine appearance. The walls were about sixteen feet in height to the square, and twenty feet to the centre of the ceiling, which was
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arched. There were three doors of entrance for the congregation; the main one, in the centre of the south side, and one in each end, east and west. The south door had over it a heavy cornice. The windows were large, arched, and had very small panes of glass. The pulpit stood on the north side, facing the south or main door. An aisle, some seven or eight feet wide, ran the length of the church from east to west, about one-third of the distance across the room from the north side, and another wide aisle from the main door to this cross-aisle. There were also two small blind aisles, as they might be termed, running from the east and west aisle to the south wall. The num- ber of pews was fifty-eight. There were four rows facing the north or pulpit side, with seven pews in each, and on each side of the pulpit there were twelve pews, extending from the long aisle to the north wall. Those on each side of the aisle running from the main door, and those on the north side of the east and west aisle, were quite long, and were frequently occupied by two families. There were also six square pews, three on each side of the church, against the east and west walls, and south of the long aisle. They were entered from the blind aisles referred to. All the pews had high perpendicular backs, in accordance with the notion of the times. The pulpit-a neat piece of workmanship for that day-was square and closed, and would hold three persons. It stood quite high, although not so much so as the most of pulpits of that day, and was surmounted by a huge sounding board. A small door opened into the closed
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space underneath it. The pulpit was painted white; the pews were unpainted.
In front of the pulpit there was a large square pew, with seats around three sides of it. This was called the elders' pew, and on communion Sabbaths, and sometimes on other occasions, it was occupied by them. The precentor, or clerk, as he was usually called, had his seat there, and it was also fre- quently occupied by persons whose hearing was dull.
In addition to the outer doors referred to, there was a small door on the north side, more especially designed for the convenience of the minister, which opened into a double pew, on the west side of the pulpit, and out of which pew the stairs led to the pulpit. There was a window over this door, from which the pulpit was lighted.
A table stood in the elders' pew, which on com- munion occasions was placed in the long aisle in front of the pulpit, and the communion elements placed upon it. This table-a relic of the past, and having an age of over one hundred years-has been pre- served, and may now be seen in the lecture room of this church. It is forty-eight inches long, and twenty-nine inches wide.
The communion was administered in the long aisle, at tables, on each side of which the communicants seated themselves.
After the completion of the new building, the united congregation agreed to sell twenty-four acres of the Fellowship tract, reserving two acres and a
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half in the southeast corner, (being the remaining acre and the allowance of six per cent.,) on which were the meeting-house, session-house, and graveyard. The trustees, who held the title of the lands, disre- garded the wishes of the congregation in this respect, and sold and conveyed to James Sharp, by deed dated 22d December, 1769, all of said tract, except a piece in the southeast corner, six and a half perches by twelve perches. A controversy arose about the matter, which was referred to six of the members of the adjoining congregations of Faggs Manor and Forks of Brandywine for settlement. The difficul- ties were finally adjusted, on the recommendation of the referees, by James Sharp re-conveying to the trustees the surplus over the twenty-four acres in- tended to be sold. This reconveyance was made May 8, 1772. The proceeds of the lands thus sold to Sharp were applied to liquidate the debt incurred in erecting the new church.
The congregation subsequently sold all of the re- served lands, except about one-fourth of an acre, in- cluding the burial ground, the title to which remains in this church.
The frame meeting-house was sold to Joseph Park, Esq., in the year 1772, and removed by him to where the barn now stands, on the property lately owned by Evan Jones, and was used for purposes connected with the tannery for some years. It gradually went to decay, and soon after the year 1811, was torn down.
The stone session-house was used for some time as
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a tenement by the owners of the land on which it stood, but it has long since disappeared.
The only remaining landmark to designate this interesting spot is the graveyard. That is about twenty-five yards square, and is enclosed with a sub- stantial stone wall. It contains nineteen headstones, recording the deaths of twenty-three persons, and there are graves with nothing to tell who is resting therein. Indeed, the yard appears to be pretty well filled. The oldest memorial is that of Joseph Wilson, who died in the year 1751 .*
These old burial grounds which are no longer used, are so generally neglected and suffered to go to decay, that it is pleasing to observe that this is an exception, and that it has recently received proper attention at the hands of the trustees. The ancestors of many of the present members of this and neighboring churches lie there, and their descendants should guard their dust with jealous care.
I would also in this connection suggest to the trustees of this church the propriety of erecting a simple memorial stone to mark the site of the old frame meeting-house. I am sure the present pro- prietor of the lands will cordially give his assent. It stood a short distance northwest of the graveyard, and its location can now be readily pointed out. In a few years, all knowledge of it will have passed from the minds of men.
The Rev. William Foster was born in Little Britain township, Lancaster county, in 1740. He was of
* See Appendix I.
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Scotch-Irish stock, and son of Alexander Foster, who had removed from the County Derry, in the north of Ireland, some years before, and settled in that town- ship. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1764, having for his cotemporaries in that institution David Ramsay, the historian, Judge Jacob Rush, Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Niles, and Luther Martin. He was taken under the care of the Pres- bytery of New Castle as a probationer for the minis- try, October 23, 1766, and, as already observed, was licensed by that Presbytery April 21, 1767.
He was a very popular preacher from the first, as is evidenced by the fact that at the next meeting of Presbytery after his licensure, the congregations of Upper Octorara 2d, Doe Run, Bethel, and Faggs Manor, all of which were without pastors, in request- ing supplies, asked, as expressed in the minutes of Presbytery, "particularly for Mr. Foster." In a short time thereafter, he had in his hands three calls, one from Upper Octorara and Doe Run ; another from Faggs Manor, then recently vacant by the removal of Rev. John Blair to Princeton; and a third from White Clay Creek and Head of Christina. He accepted the first, and was installed October 19, 1768, being then about twenty-eight years of age.
Soon after his licensure, he married Hannah, a daughter of Rev. Samuel Blair, formerly of Faggs Manor, and a grand-daughter of Lawrence Van Hook, Esq., formerly one of the judges of the Court of Com- mon Pleas of New York, who was among the first settlers from the United Netherlands.
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In December, 1770, Mr. Foster purchased from John Dickey a farm containing about two hundred and fifty acres, to which he removed, and where he resided during his life. The mansion house which he occupied was that now belonging to the family of the late William Parke, a short distance east of this church.
In the Revolution, Mr. Foster engaged heartily in the cause of civil liberty, and encouraged all who heard him to do their utmost in defence of their rights. In the beginning of 1776, he preached a very patriotic and stirring sermon to the young men of his congregation and neighborhood upon the sub- ject of their duty to their country, in its then trying situation. One of the young men who heard this discourse was Joseph McClellan, the fire of whose patriotism was so kindled that he at once resolved to engage in the service of his country; and, by the intervention of Mr. Foster and some other friends, he received a lieutenant's commission, and joined the army. Many of the older members of this congrega- tion will remember him in after life as Colonel Joseph McClellan, a patriot, a professing Christian, and an upright man, and of whose honored name his descend- ants may be justly proud. His wife was Kezia, a daughter of Joseph Park, and among his descendants were Joseph Hemphill and Colonel Thomas S. Bell, Jr., members of the Chester County Bar, the last of whom lost his life in 1862, while gallantly leading his regiment at the battle of Antietam.
On one occasion, Mr. Foster was called to Lancaster
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to preach to troops collected there previous to their joining the main army. The discourse was so accept- able that it was printed and circulated, and did much to arouse the spirit of patriotism among the people.
Indeed, the Presbyterian clergymen generally were staunch Whigs, and contributed greatly to keep alive the flame of liberty, which our disasters had fre- quently caused to be well nigh extinguished in the long and unequal contest; and but for them, it would often have been impossible to obtain recruits to keep up the forces requisite to oppose a too often victorious enemy. Some of them lost their lives, and others were driven from their congregations, in consequence of their zeal in behalf of their country.
It was a great object with the British officers to silence the Presbyterian preachers as far as possible, and with this view they frequently despatched parties of light horse into the country to surprise and take prisoners unsuspecting clergymen.
An expedition of this kind was planned against Mr. Foster. When he preached to his congregation at Doe Run, which was about eight miles distant from Octorara, it was his custom always to go on Saturday and return on Monday. One Sab- bath afternoon he was seen returning home, which gave alarm to the family, they conjecturing that something very unusual either had taken place, or was about to happen. It turned out that he had received information that morning at Doe Run that a party of British light horse were to leave Wilmington in the evening, to take him prisoner and
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burn Upper Octorara church. The neighbors collected and removed his family and library to houses remote from the public road.
The information he had received was correct. An expedition was actually sent by Sir William Howe for that purpose. After proceeding, however, about twelve miles on their way, they were informed by a tory tavern keeper that their purpose was known, and that a few miles further on, parties of militia were stationed to intercept them ; on hearing which they returned to Wilmington without having accom- plished their object.
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